Renault Fregate, 1951

Renault Fregate, 1951

The Renault Frégate was a large car produced by the French automaker Renault between 1951 and 1960.

The Frégate was conceived in the years immediately following World War II. Renault, which then had recently been brought under control of the French state, needed a new modern, upmarket model to both improve its image and to cater to the needs of consumers in the quickly recovering economy. Several prototypes were produced before the Frégate design was put into production: initially, the car had a rear-engined layout as in the recently launched Renault 4CV but eventually the manufacturer decided to go with an engine mounted ahead of the driver. The Frégate was unveiled at the 1950 Paris Motor Show but the first model was not delivered until November 1951.

The Frégate was initially available in two trim levels, Affaires and Amiral. Renault addressed the complaints about the lack of power from the 2 litre engine by introducing the new 2141 cc Etendard engine in 1956, which produced 77 hp. A popular estate model badged Domaine was also launched in 1956, along with the new, luxurious Grand Pavois specification. Sales of the Frégate gradually declined throughout the 1950s however and production ceased in 1960. In total, 163,383 Frégates were made in Flins, France.

Mercedes-Benz 220, 1951

Mercedes 220, 1951

 

The W187 was Mercedes-Benz's line of six-cylinder luxury cars in the early-1950s. It was sold as a sedan, coupe, and cabriolet, all with the 220 model name. Introduced at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 1951, the 220 sedan was replaced by the W105/W180 line in 1953. The coupe and cabriolet lasted until August of 1955.

All 220s used a 2.2 L (2195 cc/133 in³) straight-6 engine producing 80 hp (60 kW). The styling was similar to the 170 S except that the headlights were integrated into the fenders for a slightly more modern look. Two different cabriolet models were built, but they only sold 1,278 and 997 for the "A" and "B" versions, respectively.

Buick XP-300 Concept, 1951

Buick XP-300 Concept, 1951

Buick XP-300 Concept, 1951

Buick Le Sabre, 1951

Buick Le Sabre, 1951

Buick Le Sabre, 1951

Buick Super Convertible, 1951

Buick Super Convertible, 1951

Buick Super Convertible, 1951

Buick XP-300 Concept, 1951

Buick XP-300 Concept, 1951

Buick XP-300 Concept, 1951

Buick Super Convertible, 1951

Buick Super Convertible, 1951

Buick Super Convertible, 1951

Buick Le-Sabre, 1951

Buick Le-Sabre, 1951

Buick Le-Sabre, 1951

Aston Martin DB3, 1951

Aston Martin DB3, 1951

The Aston Martin DB3 and later Aston Martin DB3S were racing cars built in the 1950s. Though they used some Aston Martin DB2 parts, they were quite different, being designed especially for racing. The original modifications were done by ex-Auto Union engineer, Eberan von Eberhorst, though others handled the later Aston Martin DB3S work.

Aston Martin DB3
The DB3 was introduced in 1951 with a 133 hp (99 kW) 2.6 L Lagonda straight-6 engine from the DB2 Vantage. The car was unsuccessful, so a larger 2.9 L engine, producing 163 hp (122 kW), was introduced for 1952. The car went on to place 2nd, 3rd, and 4th at Silverstone that year behind a Jaguar C-Type. The cars were forced out of Le Mans, but did claim the 9-hour race at Goodwood.

Aston Martin DB3S
The Aston Martin DB3S was a lighter version of the car, introduced in 1953. It was somewhat more successful, and was produced until 1956. Two coupe versions were also built.

The Aston Martin DB3S was replaced in 1956 by the famed Aston Martin DBR1, which finally claimed Le Mans in 1959

Dodge-Ram Power-Wagon, 1951

Dodge-Ram Power-Wagon, 1951

Dodge-Ram Power-Wagon, 1951

Renault Fregate, 1951

Renault Fregate, 1951

The Renault Frégate was a large car produced by the French automaker Renault between 1951 and 1960.

The Frégate was conceived in the years immediately following World War II. Renault, which then had recently been brought under control of the French state, needed a new modern, upmarket model to both improve its image and to cater to the needs of consumers in the quickly recovering economy. Several prototypes were produced before the Frégate design was put into production: initially, the car had a rear-engined layout as in the recently launched Renault 4CV but eventually the manufacturer decided to go with an engine mounted ahead of the driver. The Frégate was unveiled at the 1950 Paris Motor Show but the first model was not delivered until November 1951.

The Frégate was initially available in two trim levels, Affaires and Amiral. Renault addressed the complaints about the lack of power from the 2 litre engine by introducing the new 2141 cc Etendard engine in 1956, which produced 77 hp. A popular estate model badged Domaine was also launched in 1956, along with the new, luxurious Grand Pavois specification. Sales of the Frégate gradually declined throughout the 1950s however and production ceased in 1960. In total, 163,383 Frégates were made in Flins, France.

Jaguar C-Type, 1951

Jaguar C-Type, 1951

The Jaguar C-Type (also called the Jaguar XK120-C) is a racing car built by Jaguar and sold from 1951 to 1953. Its aerodynamic body was designed by Malcolm Sayer, its lightweight, multi-tubular, triangulated frame designed by Bob Knight. A total of 52 were built. The "C" designation stood for 'competition', there being no A- or B-Type Jaguars.

Mechanically, it used the running gear of the contemporary Jaguar XK120 sports car (the C in the official XK120-C name stands for 'competition'). The twin-cam, straight-6 engine was tuned to around 205 bhp (153 kW) rather than 160 to 180 bhp (134 kW) of the road car. The custom, tubular chassis and aluminium body-panels, along with the elimination of all creature-comforts, helped the car to shed nearly 1000 lb (454 kg) compared to a comparable Jaguar road-car. The later C-Types were more powerful, using triple twin-choke Weber carburettors and high-lift camshaft. They were also lighter and better braked, by means of all-round disc brakes.

The Jaguar C-Type won the Le Mans 24 hours race at its first attempt in 1951, driven by Peter Walker and Peter Whitehead. Stirling Moss also drove one of the cars, but retired after running very strongly. In 1952 Jaguar, worried by reports of the speed of the Mercedes-Benz 300 SL, modified the aerodynamics to increase the top speed. However, this necessitated a rearrangement of the car's cooling system, and subsequently all three entries retired due to overheating. In 1953 the car won again, in a lightened, more powerful configuration, driven by Duncan Hamilton and Tony Rolt. This victory marked the first time the race had been won at an average of over 100 mph (160 km/h) [105.85 mph (170.34 km/h), to be precise]. 1954, the Jaguar C-Type's final year at Le Mans, saw a fourth place by the Ecurie Francorchamps entry driven by Roger Laurent and Jacques Swaters.

Aston Martin DB3, 1951

Aston Martin DB3, 1951

The Aston Martin DB3 and later Aston Martin DB3S were racing cars built in the 1950s. Although they used some Aston Martin DB2 parts, they were quite different, being designed especially for racing. The original modifications were done by ex-Auto Union engineer, Eberan von Eberhorst, though others handled the later Aston Martin DB3S work.

Aston Martin DB3
The DB3 was introduced in 1951 with a 133 hp (99 kW) 2.6 L Lagonda straight-6 engine from the DB2 Vantage. The car was unsuccessful, so a larger 2.9 L engine, producing 163 hp (122 kW), was introduced for 1952. The car went on to place 2nd, 3rd, and 4th at Silverstone that year behind a Jaguar C-Type. The cars were forced out of Le Mans, but did claim the 9-hour race at Goodwood.

Aston Martin DB3S
The Aston Martin DB3S was a lighter version of the car, introduced in 1953. It was somewhat more successful, and was produced until 1956. Two coupe versions were also built.

The Aston Martin DB3S was replaced in 1956 by the famed Aston Martin DBR1, which finally claimed Le Mans in 1959.

Jaguar C-Type

Jaguar C-Type, 1951

The Jaguar C-Type (also called the Jaguar XK120-C) is a racing car built by Jaguar and sold from 1951 to 1953. Its aerodynamic body was designed by Malcolm Sayer, its lightweight, multi-tubular, triangulated frame designed by Bob Knight. A total of 52 were built. The "C" designation stood for 'competition', there being no A- or B-Type Jaguars.

Mechanically, it used the running gear of the contemporary Jaguar XK120 sports car (the C in the official XK120-C name stands for 'competition'). The twin-cam, straight-6 engine was tuned to around 205 bhp (153 kW) rather than 160 to 180 bhp (134 kW) of the road car. The custom, tubular chassis and aluminium body-panels, along with the elimination of all creature-comforts, helped the car to shed nearly 1000 lb (454 kg) compared to a comparable Jaguar road-car. The later C-Types were more powerful, using triple twin-choke Weber carburettors and high-lift camshaft. They were also lighter and better braked, by means of all-round disc brakes.

The Jaguar C-Type won the Le Mans 24 hours race at its first attempt in 1951, driven by Peter Walker and Peter Whitehead. Stirling Moss also drove one of the cars, but retired after running very strongly. In 1952 Jaguar, worried by reports of the speed of the Mercedes-Benz 300 SL, modified the aerodynamics to increase the top speed. However, this necessitated a rearrangement of the car's cooling system, and subsequently all three entries retired due to overheating. In 1953 the car won again, in a lightened, more powerful configuration, driven by Duncan Hamilton and Tony Rolt. This victory marked the first time the race had been won at an average of over 100 mph (160 km/h) [105.85 mph (170.34 km/h), to be precise]. 1954, the Jaguar C-Type's final year at Le Mans, saw a fourth place by the Ecurie Francorchamps entry driven by Roger Laurent and Jacques Swaters.

When new, the car sold for approximately $6,000 - approximately twice the price of an XK120. In an article in the June 11, 2003 issue of Autocar magazine ("Slick Cat Jaguar", p.70) the value of a "genuine, healthy" Jaguar C-Type is estimated as £400,000, and the value of the 1953 Le Mans winner is circa £2 million while replicas are available from a variety of sources from £40,000.

Dodge Ram Rover Wagon

Dodge Ram Rover Wagon 1951

Dodge Ram Rover Wagon 1951